200 Years Later, Latin
America Still In Pursuit Of Bolivar's Ideals
Of Liberty
CARACAS - At zero hour on Monday, colorful,
crackling fireworks brightened the night sky
of the capital city, as Venezuela kicked off
celebrations marking the 200th anniversary
of the country's independence movement.
A parade of military troops and civilians,
men and women, old and young, passed by the
National Cemetery of Venezuela.
The Venezuelan people were marking the 200th
anniversary of "the fight against the
Spanish colonialists for independence and
liberty," a movement initiated by Simon
Bolivar, widely recognized as a hero and the
liberator of Latin America.
To South Americans, April 19 is a memorable
day, because exactly 200 years ago, Simon
Bolivar, who dedicated his life to the
independence of the continent, led the
people from the entire region in their
struggle to turn South America into a
united, solid and free "New World" from
Spanish rule.
Along with his fellow warriors, Bolivar
declared in his hometown of Caracas on April
19, 1810 the fight for the creation of the
"Gran Colombia" republic which comprised
today's Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador,
Panama, Guyana, Peru, Brazil and parts of
Costa Rica.
Although short-lived, the utopian republic
of Gran Colombia represented Bolivar's ideal
of gathering all the Latin American nations
under one federal administration, as he
believed that the Americans came from the
same origin, with the same language, the
same habits and the same religion and should
be united in peace for common prosperity.
"We are not Indians nor Europeans. ... (but
are) Americans by birth," Bolivar said two
centuries ago.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
